A concise guide to the world of cinema, tv, and games through the eyes of a sociopath

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Plot: Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) has noticed that her boyfriend hasn’t been himself of late, as he has seemed detached and distant. She shares her concern with fellow health department worker Matthew (Donald Sutherland), who suggests she visit his friend, famous psychiatrist Dr. Kibner (Leonard Nimoy). She resists and soon runs into other people who think their loved ones have changed, in fact people all over the city are claiming the same thing. Kibner doesn’t believe in the stories, but Matthew sees the truth when his friend Jack (Jeff Goldblum) is almost replaced right in front of his eyes. A strange, plant-like version of Jack seems to be leeching his life forces, though of course the group is unable to prove it when the body disappears. Now convinced of the situation, Matthew, Elizabeth, Jack, and Jack’s girlfriend try to stay ahead of the strange pod people, who have almost claimed the entire city. Can anyone escape this invasion or will all of mankind soon be replaced?

Entertainment Value: I don’t often recommend remakes or reboots, but this version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a rare exception. This movie takes the paranoia of the original and expands it in horrific ways, giving us a true horror experience. The story is straight forward and effective, while the cast is impressive and skilled. Donald Sutherland is great in this one, adding so much to the material and giving the film a strong base. Also on hand are Brooke Adams, who conveys her paranoia and fear quite well, Jeff Goldblum, and Leonard Nimoy. The interactions between the latter two are brief, but memorable and Goldblum’s nervous energy works well here. The film provides deep, genuine dread that permeates the entire experience, just excellent tension and unnerving atmosphere from start to finish. I will say the film does drag a touch toward the final stretch, but that’s a minor complaint. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is an excellent horror movie that has earned its place as a genre classic.

You get to see some pod woman boobies, as well as Brooke Adams topless, so a little nudity is present. There’s also a scene where a fat guy covered in mud shows his ass and dangling ball bag, so yeah…there’s that. As far as blood, the movie has a good amount of goop and special effects, but limited blood. Even so, the most memorable scene that has blood is a great one and involves a shovel. The special effects look good for most part, save the lame flowering stage of the pods. So some slime and goop, as well as a little blood, just not that much. The best dialogue here is probably the otherworldly squeals of the pod people, but the writing is great and Sutherland has a number of quotable lines. The film is pretty straight forward and while the level of paranoia and dread do make it a little crazy, it never turns things too insane.